Arts in Focus: Willis' toughest role: Tackling 'Whale'

3:11 PM,
Oct. 11, 2013

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Reggie Willis says that in his nearly 35 years in Cincinnati theater, he's never had a role as challenging as the character of Charlie in Samuel D. Hunter's "The Whale," which opened Friday at the Clifton Performance Theatre.

It's partly getting into and around with all that extra padding. And partly, Willis says, it's a challenge to modulate Charlie's energy levels over the course of the five days of the story. The role requires all the confidence he can muster.

There's so been much focus on Willis' transformation, but don't think that "The Whale" is just about a fat guy. ...